October 2012 Issue 57

IT’S DIFFICULT to mark the one-year anniversary of the execution of Troy Anthony Davis by the state of Georgia on September 21. Difficult for so many reasons.

It’s difficult to be reminded that he was executed despite overwhelming proof of his innocence. That he was executed even though nearly all of the witnesses who testified against him at his original trial came forward to say their testimony hadn’t been true. These witnesses were the overwhelming reason for Troy’s conviction in the first place, since no physical evidence ever linked him to the crime. But all that had no bearing on his conviction or sentence, as far as the court system was concerned.

In November, the people of California will vote on the Savings Accountability and Full Enforcement Act (also known as SAFE or Proposition 34), which would replace the death penalty in California with life without the possibility of parole.

Abolishing the death penalty in California would be a huge victory as the state makes up one-fourth of the entire country’s death row population. If Proposition 34 passes, over 700 people would be taken off death row, and the growing trend towards abolition would continue after the end of the death penalty in Connecticut, Illinois, New Mexico, and New Jersey.

Evidence of innocence should matter

By: Marlene Martin

Texas death row prisoner Rodney Reed suffered a disappointing setback when federal district Judge Lee Yeakel ruled on August 13 against compelling new evidence of Reed’s innocence.

As many readers of the New Abolitionist are aware, Rodney was convicted by an all-white jury in 1998 of raping and killing 19-year-old Stacey Stites in Bastrop, Texas. Semen is the only evidence linking Rodney to the crime. Rodney says that he and Stacey had been seeing each other, on and off, for a while. There are other people who can vouch that the affair was taking place. In fact, 11 people were prepared to speak to this fact at Rodney’s trial, but only two were called on.

On Saturday, July 21, people from Bastrop, Austin, Houston and elsewhere came together to help raise awareness and money for Rodney Reed’s plight. Rodney’s written words were read out at the event.

Fight the power! CEDP!

“Power concedes nothing without a demand.”

— Frederick Douglass

Hello to you all and thank you for coming out in support of this event and my plight for truth, justice and freedom.

We all know the truth about this “criminal system of injustice.“ We hear about it, we read about it, we see it, and unfortunately, some of us have to live with and through it. Word is, we know about it. Plan is to continue to organize, strategize and educate, and dedicate ourselves to one and another.